Motor road-vehicle.



E0. 741,587. PATENTED 001'. 13, 1903.

E. H. MEDEN.

MOTOR ROAD VEHICLE.

APPLIOATION FILED NOW-28.1902.

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No. 741,587. PATENTED OCT. 13, 1903.

E. H. MEDEN. MOTOR ROAD VEHICLE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.28. 1902. I N0 MODEL. 4 SHEETSSHEET 2.

f No. 741,587. PATENTED 001*. 13, 1903. E. H. MEDEN.

MOTOR ROAD VEHICLE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.2B. 1902.

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PATENTED OCT. 13, 1903.

E. H. MBDEN.

MOTOR ROAD VEHICLE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.28,1902.

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ELOF H. MEDEN, OF TRENTON, NEYV JERSEY.

MOTOR ROAD-VEHICLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 741,587, dated October13, 1903.

Application filed November 28, 1902. Serial No. 133,037. (No innclcli)T0 at whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELOF H. MEDEN, a subject of the 'King of Sweden andNorway, residing in Trenton, county of Mercer, State of New Jersey, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Motor Road-Vehicles, ofwhich the following is a specification, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

This invention relates to motor road-vehicles, and particularly tovehicles of that class in which a motive fluid-such as steam, compressedair, &c.is employed as the source of power.

The main object of the invention is to provide a novel, efficient, anddurable mechanism intermediate the source of power-supply and thedriving-wheels, whereby the steam or other motive fluid is received andmade available as power and whereby said power is transmitted to thedriving-wheels and controlled.

For many reasons it is undesirable to employ a reciprocating engine invehicles of the type above referred to. These engines are, as a rule,bulky and extremely heavy, there is very little room in the vehicle inwhich to mount them, and their size is necessarily cramped at theexpense of efiiciency. Besides they are of necessity exposed to the dustand dirt of the road, which easily adheres to their oily parts and bywhich those parts consequently become clogged and grit-worn.

Instead of employing a reciprocating engine subject to the aboveconditions of wear and of comparatively low efficiency it is proposed bythis invention to make use of a rotary engine of the turbine type whichhas none of the features of the ordinary reciprocating engine thatrender it unfit for use in this connection. In the first place an engineof this type sufficiently powerful for the requisite purposes will beneither bulky nor heavy, but, on the contrary,will be compact andrelatively light. The operative parts of the turbine being thoroughlyinclosed by its casing or walls are wholly protected from all dust anddirt, and the engine is therefore neither hindered nor clogged by thecaking of the oil-moistened particles nor worn by grit-grinding. The

power-transmission mechanism intermediate the engine and driving-wheels,with which mechanism this invention is also concerned, comprises amongits several parts means for converting the mechanical power developed inthe engine into electrical power, although it will be understood thatthe vehicle may be driven by the power directly as it is furnished fromthe turbine. The translation of the mechanical powerinto electricalpower, however, renders the control of the vehicle simpler and easierand permits the elimination of more or less complex gearing throughwhich the changes of speed and the reversing in motor-vehicles aresometimes edected.

Accordingly the invention also relates to electrically-propelledvehicles, as well as to those motor-vehicles in which steam or someother motive fluid is the source of power, and considering the inventionfrom the point of view of electric vehicles the storage battery, whichis the common source of power in such vehicles, is replaced by amotive-fluid generator, a turbine, and a dynamo. In many respects such acombination is highly preferable and advantageous for replacing thestorage battery in electrically-propelled vehicles, and it realizes itsmost practical oilficiency and utility when the weight and size of theengine in such combination is so reduced that the combined generator,engine, and dynamo are lighter and more compact than the storagebattery, and these results are made possible and attained by theemployment of an engine of the turbine type.

The invention is further concerned with the provision of automaticcontrolling mechanism in combination with the turbine,whereby the amountof steam or other motive fluid is supplied to the turbine in quantitiesproportionate to the load, the cont-rolling proper of the vehicle,however, being done by means of an ordinary form of electric controller,which is placed near the operators seat and which is electricallyconnected with the motor; but said controlling proper may also beeffected by providing means for varying the resistance of thefield-circuit of the dynamo, as is hereinafter more fully explained.

The character and scope of the invention will be ascertained not only bythe foregoing recitation of the general objects of the invention, butalso from an examination of the drawings and study of the descriptionand claims hereinafter following.

The several features of the invention will be more particularlydescribedwith reference to said drawings, in which Figure 1 is a longitudinalsectional view of a motor road-vehicle embodying the invention, therunning-gear being shown in elevation and the condenser andcirculating-pipes for cooling the condenser-water being omitted. Fig. 2is a plan view of the runninggear and frame, showing a single-motordrive. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the running-gear and frame, showing atwo-motor drive. Fig. 4 is a detail view of the rear axle anddrivingwheels on a larger scale and showing in section the housing forsaid rear axle when a two motor drive is used.

The motor-vehicle shown in the above-described accompanying drawings andin which the several features of the present invention have beenembodied for the purpose of illustration and explanation comprises theusual vehicle parts, such as the vehicle-body A, run ning-gear 13,springs 0, connecting the vehicle-body and running-gear, driving-wheelsD, and steeringwheels E. The steeringwheels are preferablyjournaled onstub-axles h, which are swiveled to the front axle Z2, and saidstub-axles are connected to a steeringpost 6, mounted upon the fore partof the vehicle-body by intermediate links and levers 0, whereby thesteering-wheels are under control of a steering-handle 6 which ispivotally secured to the steering-post e.

The motive fluid which it is preferable to employ is steam, and a boilerfor generating the same is indicated at F, the particular constructionof which is not material. Neither is the construction of theboiler-furnace ma terial, and the same is not shown; but, as willreadily be understood without illustration, it may comprise any suitablemeans for heating, vaporizing, and consuming a hydrocarbon fuel, whichis introduced into the furnace by a pipe 9 from a fuel-tank G, locatedin the forward part of the vehicle-body.

Leading fromthe boiler F is a live-steam pipef, which communicates withthe inletopening 7b of a turbine-engine H, which is firmly mounted uponand secured to the under side of the vehicle-body by suitable supports,the position of said turbine being preferably near and in advance of theboiler. The form of turbine which it is desirable to use in thisconnection is that shown and described in Letters Patent of the UnitedStates No. 522,066, granted to Carl G. P. De Laval, under date of June26, 1894. Said turbine, so far as it is necessary to describe the samefor the purposes of this application, comprises a casing 7L, havinginlet and exhaust ports h and ]L2, a turbine-wheel i11- closed by saidcasing and not shown in the drawings, and a shaft 7L3, operativelysecured to said turbine-wheel.

Operatively connected with the shaft 7L3 of the turbine is an automaticgovernor M, operating a cut-off m. This governor and cutoff mechanism ispreferably of the form shown and described in the United States LettersPatent No. 701,500, granted to De Laval Steam Turbine Company and datedJune 3, 1902, and by means of which the supply of steam to the turbineis so regulated as to secure the rotation of the turbine and shaft at auniform rate of speed under all conditions of load to which the vehicleis subjected. Other forms of governors and cutoff mechanisms, however,may be used to effect this result, and, as will be mentionedhereinafter, the governor may be dispensed with and the cut-offmechanism may be operated electrically.

The shaft 71.3 of the turbine, which, it will be understood, is adaptedto be run constantly at a very high speed, is geared to mechanism foreffecting speed reduction, (indicated at N.) Said speed-reducingmechanism may comprise a suitable gearing, such as is ordinarilyemployed for this purpose, itsform not being of any essential importanceto this case. Said gearing is, however, preferably inclosed in a casing71, which is secured to the vehicle-body. A shaft 91?, driven by saidreduction-gearing N at a much reduced rate of speed, is geared to adynamo O, which is suitably mounted on the vehicle-body. This dynamo,the turbine H, and the gearing N are preferably placed close together,the turbine being on one side of the vehicle and the dynamo on the otherside, so as to be readily accessible for inspection, cleaning, andrepairing. Said dynamo may supply a direct or alternating current whichis transmitted through suitable conductors to motors P. Two motors, onegeared to either driving-wheel, may be employed to drive the vehicle, ora single-motor drive with a compensating gear may be used. In the lattercase, as shown in Fig. 2, a motor P is mounted upon a frame S, suitablecross-bars Z1 being provided upon said frame to sustain said motor. Themotor drivingshaftp may be provided with a pinion p,which meshes withthe pinion carried upon a shaft pfiwhich shaft is journaled in the frameS. A sprocket-wheel 19 secured upon said shaft 2), drives by means of achain (1 a sprocket-wheel q upon a compensating or differential gear Q,motion being imparted from said gear Q to the driving-wheels in theordinary way.

In the two-motor drive shown in Fig. 3 motors P may be mounted on eachside of the vehicle, said motors being geared, respectively, with thedriving-wheels. The driving-wheels in this case are rigidly secured tothe rear axle b, which is divided near its center and provided withjournal-bearings b in a housing 1). Provided upon the ends of said rearaxle are collars 11 which are secured thereto by the screws Z1 Saidcollars bear IIO against the housing b and prevent each portion of theaxle from working out of said housing. i

In order to control the speed of the vehicle and in order to reverse themotion of the ve hicle, an electric controller of the ordinary typehaving a controller-handle and a reversing-handle may be employed. Sucha controller is indicated at B, being placed in the vehicle in aposition to be easily operated by the driver. In such a controller thechanges of speed are effected by throwing into the motor-circuit aquantity of dead resistance, and where a two-motor drive is used byconnecting up the two motors and the resistance in ditferent Ways aftera manner which is well known in the art and common to the differentforms of electric controllers. Electrical connections between the motorsand controller are shown at 7".

The vehicle may be and preferably is controlled, however, according to anovel method of control invented by me, which consists in varying thestrength of the field-circuit of the generator by placing a rheostat inone or more of the circuits of said field, as is more fully explained inan application for Letters Patent filed by me on December 4, 1902, andserially numbered 133,824. In such case the controller-box R, mounted onthe body of the vehicle adjacent to the drivers seat, will be a simpleresistance-box, the handle of the controller corresponding to the usualpivoted contact-bar of a rheostat. There is also preferably provided insaid field-circuit an auxiliary generator or exciter, the shaft of whicheXciter may be geared to shaft m at any convenient point and is driventhereby. The portion of the field of the main generator which is thusseparately excited is varied in strength by the movements of thecontroller-handle, and the current generated by said main generator ordynamo also responds in strength to the movements of thecontroller-handle, as will clearly appear upon reference to theaforesaid application; but I do not include any claims for said novelmethod in this application, the same being reserved by me herefrom andfully set forth and claimed by me in the said application, filed by meas aforesaid. As the vehicle is being driven, therefore, the variationsof current generated in the dynamo will tend to cause inverse variationsof the speed of shaft 7L3 and the turbine; but these variationsinstantly afiect the governor and cut-off mechanism, which in turn willso control the supply of steam to the turbine that said shaft h isalways driven at a substantially constant speed, the quantity of steamadmitted to the turbine at any particular moment determining the forcewith which the vehicle is being driven at that moment, as will bereadily understood.

I claim as my invention 1. A dirigible steam-vehicle provided with asteam-generator, a steam-turbine, powertransmitting means intermediatethe turbine and driving-wheels, power-controlling means operativelyconnected with the power-transmitting means, and means operated by theturbine to regulate automatically the supply of steam to the turbine.

2. A dirigible steam-vehicle provided with a steam-generator, asteam-turbine, powertransmitting means intermediate the turbine anddriving-wheels, power-controlling means operatively connected with thepower-transmitting means, and means operated by the turbine to supplysteam to the turbine in proportion to the power required at a particularmoment.

3. A dirigible steam-vehicle provided with a steam-generator, asteam-turbine, means intermediate the turbine and driving-wheels forelectrically transmitting power, powercontrolling means operativelyconnected with the power-transmitting means, and means operated by theturbine to regulate automatically the supply of steam to the turbine.

t. A dirigible steam-vehicle, provided with a steam-generator, asteam-turbine, an electric generator operated by said turbine, anelectric motor connected with the drivingwheels and drivenby saidgenerator, powercontrolling means operatively connected with said motor,and means operated by the turbine to regulate automatically the supplyof steam to the turbine.

5. The combination with a motor road-vehicle provided with suitablerunning-gear in cluding driving-wheels and steering mechanism, of anengine of the turbine type comprising one or more rotating members, amotive-fluid generator, a power-shaft, gearing intermediate said shaftand driving-wheels for speed reduction, and an automatic cut-off toregulate the supply of motive fluid to the turbine.

6. The combination with a motor road-vehicle provided with suitablerunning-gear including driving-wheels and steering mechanism, of anengine of the turbine type comprising one or more rotating members, amotive-fluid generator, a power-shaft, powertransmitting mechanismincluding speed reduction, gearing intermediate said shaft anddriving\vheels, power-controlling means operatively connected with saidpower-transmitting means, and an automatic cut-off to regulate thesupply of steam to the turbine.

7. The combination with a motor road-vehicle provided with suitablerunning-gear including driving-wheels and steering mechan; ism, of anengine of the turbine type comprising one or more rotating members, amotive-tluid generator, a power-shaft, means intermediate the turbineand driving-wheels for electrically transmitting power, powercontrollingmeans operatively connected with said power-transmitting means, and anautomatic cut-off to regulate the supply of steam to the turbine.

S. The combination with a motor road-Va hicle provided with suitablerunning-gear in cluding driving-Wheels and steering mechanism, of anengine of the turbine type comprising one or more rotating members, amotive-fluid generator, a power-shaft, an electric generator operated bysaid turbine, a motor connected with the driving-wheels and driven bysaid generator, power-controlling means cperatively connected with themotor, and an automatic cut-off to regulatethe supply of steam to theturbine.

9. In an electrically-propelled vehicle the combination of two motorsgeared respectively to each of the driving-Wheels, a divided rear axle,and a housing for said divided axle, the driving-Wheels being rigidlysecured to each part respectively of said divided axle.

10. In an electrically-propelled vehicle, the combination of twodriving-Wheels, tWo motors having their shafts geared respectively ELOFII. MEDEN.

In presence of- ANTHONY N. JEsBERA, ALFRED W. KIDDLE.

